Alabama World War II Army Airfields
|caption=Map Of Major Alabama World War II Army Airfields Third Air Force AAF Training Command AAF Contract Flying Schools Air Technical Service Command }} |coordinates= |image= |caption= |type=Army Airfields |code= |built=1940-1944 |builder= |materials= |height= |used= 1940-Present |demolished= |condition= |ownership= |commanders= |occupants= |battles= |events= }} posing in front of a plane; Tuskegee Army Air Field.]] During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) established numerous airfields in Alabama for antisubmarine defense in the Gulf of Mexico and for training pilots and aircrews of AAF fighters and bombers. Most of these airfields were under the command of Third Air Force or the Army Air Forces Training Command (AAFTC) (A predecessor of the current-day United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command). However the other USAAF support commands (Air Technical Service Command (ATSC); Air Transport Command (ATC) or Troop Carrier Command) commanded a significant number of airfields in a support roles. It is still possible to find remnants of these wartime airfields. Many were converted into municipal airports, some were returned to agriculture and several were retained as United States Air Force installations and were front-line bases during the Cold War. Hundreds of the temporary buildings that were used survive today, and are being used for other purposes. Major Airfields Third Air Force * Demopolis Army Air Field, west-southwest of Demopolis : Detachment, 39th Army Air Force Base Unit : Auxiliary of Key Field, Mississippi : Now: Demopolis Municipal Airport 7A2}} AAF Training Command Eastern Flight Training Center * Courtland Army Air Field, southwest of Courtland : 446th Army Air Force Base Unit : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Danville Auxiliary Field :: Trinity Auxiliary Field :: Bay Auxiliary Field :: Leighton Auxiliary Field :: Muscle Shoals Auxiliary Field : Now: Courtland Airport * Craig Field, southeast of Selma : 57th Army Air Force Base Unit : Free French Air Force pilot training : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Anniston Army Air Field :: Selma Municipal Airport (Selfield) :: Furniss Auxiliary Field :: Henderson Auxiliary Field :: Mollette Auxiliary Field :: Autaugaville Auxiliary Field : Later: Craig Air Force Base (1947-1977) : Now: Craig Field Airport * Gunter Field, northeast of Montgomery : 58th Army Air Force Base Unit : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: McLemore Auxiliary Field :: Elmore Auxiliary Field :: Mount Meigs Auxiliary Field :: Taylor Field :: Dannelly Auxiliary Field ::: Now: Montgomery Air National Guard Base and Montgomery Regional Airport :: Deatsville Auxiliary Field : Now: Gunter Annex (Non-flying USAF facility) * Maxwell Field, west of Montgomery : Headquarters, Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics : Headquarters, Air University : 14th Army Air Force Base Unit : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Passmore Auxiliary Field :: Troy Auxiliary Field :: Autaugaville Auxiliary Field : Now: Maxwell Air Force Base * Napier Field, northwest of Dothan : 73d Army Air Force Base Unit : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Ozark Army Air Field :::: Now: Cairns Army Airfield :: Wiksburg Auxiliary Field :: Dothan Auxiliary Field :: Headland Auxiliary Field :: Goldberg Auxiliary Field :: Hyman Auxiliary Field : Now: Dothan Regional Airport * Tuskegee Army Air Field, northwest of Tuskegee : 318th Army Air Force Base Unit : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Griel Auxiliary Field :: Shorter Auxiliary Field : Note: See Moton Field for Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site : Now: Sharpe Field Contract Flying Schools * Bates Field, west of Mobile : 533d Army Air Force Base Unit : Under Contact to: Waterman Airlines : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: St Elmo Auxiliary Field : Later: Sub-Base of Brookley Field (ATC) : Now: Mobile Regional Airport and : Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile * Decatur Field, northwest of Decatur : Under Contact to: Southern Airways : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Harris Station Auxiliary Field :: Anderson Auxiliary Field :: Beaver Dam Auxiliary Field :: Poole Auxiliary Field :: Tanner Auxiliary Field : Now: Pryor Field Regional Airport * Roberts Field Airport, west of Birmingham : Contract Glider Training : Later: Auxiliary of Birmingham Army Air Field (ATC) : Now: Industrial site * Hargrove Van de Graaft Airport, northwest of Tuscaloosa : Free French Air Force pilot training : Operated by 51st Flying Training Group, Greenville Army Air Field, Mississippi : Under Contract to: Alabama Institute of Aeronautics : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Albright Auxiliary Field :: Foster Auxiliary Field :: Knauer Auxiliary Field :: Moody Auxiliary Field :: Rice Auxiliary Field : Now: Tuscaloosa Regional Airport * Moton Field, northwest of Tuskegee : Operated by Tuskegee Army Air Field : Under contract to Tuskegee Institute : Known sub-bases and auxiliaries :: Calabee Flight Strip :: Hardaway Auxiliary Field :: Kennedy Auxiliary Field : Now: Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site : Now: Moton Field Municipal Airport Air Technical Service Command * Birmingham Army Air Field, northeast of Birmingham : 310th Army Air Force Base Unit : Joint USAAF/Civil Use : Also used by Third Air Force and Air Transport Command : Now: Birmingham Air National Guard Base * Brookley Field, south of Mobile. : HQ United States Army Air Corps Mobile Air Service Command : 480th Army Air Force Base Unit : Also used by Air Transport Command : Was: Brookley Air Force Base (1948-1969) : Now: Mobile Downtown Airport Minor Airfields * Camp Silbert Army Airfield, west-southwest of Gadsden : US Army Support : Now: Northeast Alabama Regional Airport * Fort McClellan Army Air Field, north-northeast of Anniston : US Army Support : Now: Abandoned * Huntsville Arsenal Army Air Field, southwest of Huntsville : US Army Support : Now: Redstone Army Airfield * Chilton CAA Intermediate Field, northeast of Clanton : Undetermined USAAF Use : Now: Chilton County Airport * Thomas C. Russell Field, south-southwest of Alexander : Undetermined USAAF Use * Weedon Field, north-northeast of Eufaula : Undetermined USAAF Use References * Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4. * Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947-1977. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. * Thole, Lou (1999), Forgotten Fields of America : World War II Bases and Training, Then and Now - Vol. 2. Pictorial Histories Pub . ISBN 1-57510-051-7 * Military Airfields in World War II - Alabama Category:United States Army airfields Category:World War II airfields in the United States Category:Airports in Alabama Category:Military installations in Alabama Category:United States World War II army airfields }}